President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday unveiled the plaque of the Mahatma Gandhi Auditorium at Gabriel Rene Moreno University here to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the leader, who in India is regarded as the "Father of the Nation."
Addressing the gathering, President Kovind said: "Mahatma Gandhi is not merely a great figure from our past. He is a guide for our today and a beacon for our tomorrow."
"Father of India honoured in #Bolivia! To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, an auditorium in the Autonomous University of Gabriel Rene Moreno in Santa Cruz was named after him during President of India's address to student community there!" Raveesh Kumar, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, tweeted.
"Gandhiji remains extremely relevant to 21st-century global concerns. In his advocacy of sustainability, ecological sensitivity and living in harmony with nature, he anticipated some of the pressing challenges of our times. The Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations are Gandhian philosophy in action," President Kovind was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
"It is almost natural to invoke the Mahatma in any discussion on climate change action. India's role in the International Solar Alliance (ISA), an international organisation co-conceived and head-quartered in our country, too is reflective of Mahatma Gandhi," he added.
President Kovind further noted that India is the first major economy that is seeking to make a leap for industrialisation while combating climate change and reducing the dependence on fossil fuels. India has set a target of 175 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2022, of which 100 gigawatts will comprise solar energy.
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Earlier on Friday (local time), President Kovind addressed India-- Bolivia Business Forum along with his Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales organised by groups of Bolivian Chambers of Industries, Confederation of Indian Industry and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Around 30 Indian companies from gold, mining, infra, IT, automobile energy participated.
In the wake of growing threats and acts of terrorism across the world, India and Bolivia have called for early finalisation of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).
On the same day, India and Bolivia signed eight Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in diverse sectors, including culture, diplomatic visa, diplomatic academies, mining, space, traditional medicine, Bi-Oceanic Railway project, and ISA.
President Kovind is currently in Bolivia on the second leg of his three-nation tour to Croatia, Bolivia, and Chile from March 25 to April 4.
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